Broken Prince
by Suzume Jun
Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis? Note: eventual OT6 but not a slash fic
1. Busted

**Broken Prince**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.**

**Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis?**

**Chapter one: Busted **

He knew he should have stayed home today. Nothing good ever happens on this day every year. Almost as if the day were cursed…

… Knowing his luck it probably was.

Today was the day he realized he was different from the rest of the kids in his class, the day the bullying started, the day he started worrying that his Oyaji wanted to replace him, the day Ryoga first complained about him, the first day Ryoga abandoned him because having your younger brother around wasn't "Cool", the day Ryoga walked out on their family, the first time his Oyaji actually called him Ryoga, the day his world was cut in half…

…And now it was going to be the day that the tennis world was closed off to him.

He had been kicked off the tennis teams back in America when one of his old coaches found out about his injuries (Which also had happened on this day). Ryoma just couldn't understand why everyone made such a big deal about it but being dragged to the nurse's office by Eiji-senpai surrounded by the other regulars makes his stomach start to fill with dread.

All he wanted to do was play tennis.

After his physical he wouldn't be allowed to. Why did they need one anyway? Inui-senpai would know immediately if something was wrong with any of them. When they reach the door to the office the twelve year old ties to make a break for it.

Keyword? _TRIES_

He doesn't make it more than a few steps away before he feels cold metal encircle his left wrist and hears a definite clicking sound.

Bachou is holding the door open, a glare on his face that tells them all to stop messing around and get inside. Oishi-senpai is looking at him worriedly from where he was standing halfway into the office. Eiji-senpai is bouncing on his heels in front of the mother hen looking at him with wide worried eyes. Momo-senpai, Kaido-senpai, and Taka-senpai are already in the office. Inui-senpai has his notebook out scribbling in it rapidly and Fuji-senpai is standing behind him with his blue eyes open and a sadistic smile on his face…

… Holding a handcuff whose twin is conveniently locked tightly around his wrist.

Ryoma's body slumps at the knowledge that escape was well beyond his grasp. Fuji-senpai tugs on his end and drags the unstruggling yet definitely NOT helping either twelve-year-old into the nurse's office before locking his end of the cuffs around one of the bedposts.

Momo-senpai and Kaido-senpai are finished with their physicals so Bachou sends them to do laps (the decision helped by the two sighting over some nonsensical thing or another) and Eiji-senpai goes next to _"Show Ochibi that it wasn't __**that**__ bad Nya!"_ After him Oishi-senpai and Taka-senpai go before Oishi-senpai leads them out of there to _"Check on Momo-kun and Kaido-kun."_, leaving him with Bachou, Inui-senpai, and Fuji-senpai.

As the nurse jots down notes and sets everything back up Bachou speaks for the first time since the announcement that this torture was going to be administered today.

"Is there a reason you tried to run Echizen?" His voice is emotionless and the room goes silent besides the nurse's shuffling (which seems to be taking longer than it had between the other physicals) but Ryoma flinches all the same. Diverting his eyes from his three present senpais he shakes his head negative.

"No Bachou." He responds, voice lacking the self-confident, cocky, boredom it usually had.

"There is an 85% chance that he just lied-" Inui-senpai goes to continue but is interrupted by Fuji-senpai who is now sitting down next to Ryoma on the bed,

"Saa Ryo-chan, why are you shaking?" The tensai asks and said boy curses in his mind. Unable to stop himself from trembling in fear of what he stands to lose because of this physical, tennis was his life and he was actually _enjoy_ing having friends. To lose both at the same time simply because of some demon-styled jerk a few years ago wasn't something he thought he could stand.

"Echizen-kun is next." The nurse says approaching the youngest regular. Everything goes fine, to the relief of Ryoma and the surprise of the three spectators….

…Until they get to the vision test.

"I want you to cover your right eye and read from the lowest line you can from the sign over there." She instructs and slowly Ryoma does as he was told biting the inside of his bottom lip so hard the coppery taste of blood floods his mouth.

"I can't." He says softly, closing both his eyes in defeat and shame as he drops his hand into his lap. After all…

…Japanese sight signs were different from the ones he had memorized back in America.

**Hello everyone!**

**I hope you like this so far though it could probably have been written a lot better. So what do you think? Comments… suggestions… ideas for the future in this story… requests for what you want to see in an upcoming chapter…? I don't know unless you tell me. Until next time…**

…**Bye!**


	2. Saved by the Bell

**Broken Prince**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.**

**Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis?**

**Chapter two: Saved by the Bell**

_"I can't." He says softly, closing both his eyes in defeat and shame as he drops his hand into his lap. After all…_

…_Japanese sight signs were different from the ones he had memorized back in America._

"What did you say?" The nurse asks shocked, Fuji-senpai's eyes shoot open, Bachou blinks in surprise (Yes... Tezuka actually showed emotion.), and Inui-senpai drops his notebook. Tears threaten to spill from Ryoma's eyes but he clenches his fists tight and refuses to allow them to fall,

"I can't, I see none of it. I'm half blind Sensei." His voice cracks as he explains, tugging on the handcuffs that prohibit his escape.

"Neh, Fuji-senpai, can you unlock these?" He continues, forcing himself to act as if it were nothing. It really wasn't anyway. Not for him. Not for Tennis...

... He had worked hard to overcome that part of his life.

The tensai blinks and goes to unlock the metal chain but is stopped by Bachou who put a hand on the fellow ninth grader's shoulder before positioning himself in front of the youngest member of his team. The two pillars stare at each other, one silently demanding an explanation as to **how **this had come about and **why** no one had been informed of it. The other guarded and defiant, one golden eye slightly lighter in color then the other and more out of focus than it's twin now that the elder player was actually seeing them. The nurse is at her desk, frantically pulling out and searching through a rather thick file and tapping away at her computer looking for something. Inui-senpai has picked his notebook up off the floor and is muttering to himself as he flips through it absolutely at a loss as to what to do. His data had never been wrong before and yet a half blind Echizen Ryoma **definitely** went against his data. Fuji-senpai was silent as he stared, eyes still wide open, at the small boy handcuffed to the bed he was sitting on.

"It doesn't change anything Bachou." Ryoma says, denying (at least to himself) the near pleading edge in his voice.

"I've been playing with my injuries for two years now, my tennis has adjusted accordingly and it no longer matters." He continues, trying hard to convince them that it **didn't**. That there was no reason he should be _let go _from this team like he had all the others since his match in the California State Championship finals back in America two years ago. Bachou's next question makes him flinch and he just _knows_ he will be outcasted now.

"**Injuries** Echizen?" The voice is patient sounding and though it is strained it is anything but angry however it makes no difference.

Maybe if he had listened back then this could have all been avoided...

_Ten-year-old Ryoma Echizen, star prodigy southpaw of Angel's Elementary school in California, smiles as he plays with a tennis ball on his way home from school. He couldn't wait to tell his Baka Oyaji that he had won again and would get to play the California state high school champion! Sure, he had been playing in tournaments against people well over his age for a few years but this was definitely going to impress his nonchalant never-gone-to-a-single-one-of-my-son's-matches-since-he-was-six parents! They might even decide to come watch this one!_

_Only Oyaji though, Ka-san was_ really _busy with her job as a lawyer. She couldn't even take his birthday off from work and he was born on __**Christmas Eve**__!_

_A guy walks up to him looking to be about seventeen to nineteen years old. He was tall (At least to the smaller then normal Ochibi), had short blond hair, and green eyes. The tennis bag slung over his shoulder pronounced him as part of Freedman high's tennis team._

_"Ryoma Echizen right?" He asks in a hard, no-nonsense, I-already-know-the-answer, voice and Ryoma nods._

_"Daniel Wilkans, listen kid I don't _**want**_ to hurt you but you go on that court during the next state tournament match and I swear to God it will be the last match you ever play."_

Maybe if he had simply forfeited the match like his old teammates had told him to he wouldn't have to fear people finding out about his injuries.

But **MAYBE **wasn't **IS** and he **HAD** played...

"Neh, Bachou, Why do sports players train to use both hands in their sport?" The twelve-year-old asks closing his eyes, and Fuji-senpai shakes his head while Bachou blinks in confusion for a second almost completely out of his element.

"Saa- Many different reasons Ryo-chan." The blue eyed boy supplies, playing along with his Kohai's game as the others seemed to have been defeated by this situation. Considering the eventual outcome that _always_ comes without fail Ryoma don't see why. None of the other teams had taken this long to kick him off...

...Most of them hadn't wanted him to begin with and were not above making that blatantly clear from the moment the young prodigy had stepped onto their court.

"I broke my left arm a few years ago." The golden-eyed boy says to interrupt the list of statistics that come flowing out of Inui-senpai's mouth. Though the vague words rolling off his tongue tasted vial and make him feel nauseous.

"How Echizen?" Bachou asks, disbelief plain on his features, sure that he would have at least spotted someone playing with an arm injury as he had one himself... among other reasons of course. It was not really clear just _what_ he was asking in his state of shock but Ryoma knew the answer his tennis captain was trying to obtain from him. The cuff chaffs painfully at his wrist as he once again tries fruitlessly to escape. _'Why would they ask how I got injured. It's enough that I am.'_ He thinks, confused as none of the other inquisitions he had been in had ever gone on this long nor went this into the actual details. Fuji-senpai grabs his wrist and holds it as Bachou repeats his question, voice running out of patience.

"How were you injured Echizen?"

In a rare stroke of luck Ryoma is saved by the bell for school...

... The twelve-year-old doesn't think he had **EVER** been so relieved for the end of a practice.

**Thank you all who reviewed. In response to several of the reviews, first off I have not decided if this will be a romantic fic so if any of you would like to review or PM me your opinion on the matter you may/please do. However I would also like you to suggest as to who Ryoma would end up with if I **_**did**_** make this a romance type thing. There are no boundaries on what pairings/groups you may/can request if it doesn't end up happening I'll try to work it into a different fic later on. The category with the most requests will more or less win placing in this one though. Secondly, as I have put in this chapter Ryoma does have other injuries. But yes the only eye that is blind is his left one. Until next time...**

…**Bye!**


	3. Captured

**Broken Prince**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.**

**Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis?**

**Chapter three: Captured**

Classes went by in a blur and Ryoma didn't know what to do with himself now that he was once again tennis-less. When lunch came around, instead of spending it with the regulars like he usually did, he hid in the library. Upon returning to the classroom Horio loudly told him that their senpai-tachi had been looking for him and how _HE,_ with his two years of tennis experience, would have been so much better in his place. Once again Ryoma bites back the reply that Horio's **two** **years** were lacking significantly in comparison to his **nine**...

... No one ever seemed to care about that...

...People in general seemed to care surprisingly little about anything concerning him, especially considering how many _SAY_ that they do. And besides, perfectly whole Horio with his perfect loving family that made sure to spend time with him every day was probably right even if not in the way he thought...

Blind broken people like Echizen Ryoma will **NEVER** truly belong in the world of perfection that was tennis...

The running, hiding, and all around avoidance from the other tennis regulars lasted for about a week being slightly generous. When Momo-senpai showed up at his house to pick him up Ryoma was already at school. When morning tennis practice was going on Ryoma was on the other side of the school hiding in an abandoned closet. When lunch came around Ryoma was out of the classroom before the bell even finished ringing; spending his time either in an abandoned classroom, the library, or the closet he had been slowly coming to name as 'his'. When it was time for afternoon practice Ryoma instead took the time to further familiarize himself with Tokyo.

He also had shut the nurse up before she could cause even more problems than he was currently dealing with. At one point he would have cringed at just the thought but after so many times it now came as second nature to him. After all, it was their own fault for being scared of a disabled child, quite pathetic of them really if you asked him. Besides, all he did to this one was blackmail her...

... No caretaker of children would want it known that their father had been a registered sex offender so he didn't need to take extreme measures to keep the documents he wanted disregarded hidden so well within his medical history that even Inui-senpai wouldn't be able to pull it up.

But all things (apparently) had to come to an end.

It was at the end of a class week that found a trapped Echizen Ryoma surrounded by his senpai-tachi as he was trying to skip practice once again.

Horio had literally grabbed his wrist at the end of class and refused to let go. This causing just enough of a set back that Eiji-senpai was able to spot him as he rushed around the corner...

...Straight into Momo-senpai.

"Yo Echizen, you shouldn't be hiding from your senpais! It isn't right! No it isn't Yo!" The loud power player exclaims as his kohai is surrounded by worried but annoyed tennis players.

"Che, What do you want?" The twelve-year-old asks nonchalantly, if they thought for even a second that he would tell them about his injuries then they were more idiotic then he had given them credit for. His head turning to watch Buchou when he replied, making the mistake of putting Momo-senpai right into his blind spot. He didn't think much of it though, having shifted his senses so that he heard more than he saw his surroundings years ago.

"We would like you to come with us to the club room so we can talk to you privately Echizen." he says simply, causing golden eyes to narrow. He wasn't going with them. He didn't think he could handle hearing those words yet again. Besides, they all already knew he was off the team anyway. He put the resignation slip on Ryuusaki-sensei's desk himself while everyone was in the clubhouse on the very afternoon they had found out. There was no need for actual formalities...

"Yadda." The word wasn't even fully out of his mouth before he was quickly thrown over Momo-senpai's shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes. The force of the action knocking the air out of him. Silently the Seigaku tennis regulars navigate the crowd of students solemnly, trying to get as close to he clubhouse as they could before their winded hostage started resisting them again.

The eight middle schoolers had almost completed their objective before Ryoma finally begins to voice his distress as he struggles to get free. Though not enough that he would fall off his senpai's shoulder by himself. However, the only response he receives is that the arm holding him there tightens around him harshly. Making it hard for him to breath once again.

Oishi-senpai opens the door, worried uncertainty shining in his eyes and Ryoma barely registers being thrown into a chair at the far end of the room. His arms forced around the back of the wooden seat, feelings of doom and the question of just _when_ this torture would end fill the boy as his wrists are handcuffed together and the door's lock clicks into use with a resounding finality.

Fuji-senpai stands behind him twirling the key to his restraints on his finger as he walks over to present it to Buchou who is sitting at the long table in front of him with Taka-senpai and Inui-senpai. Kaido-senpai is leaned against the side wall to his right, studying him with a piercing glare only the Viper could achieve. Eiji-senpai bounces on his feet by the worried mother hen who is still standing by the door and Ryoma thinks that Momo-senpai is standing somewhere over his left shoulder but for once is being to silent for his ears to pick up an exact location. One thing however, was for sure though...

... He was screwed

\- POV Momoshiro -

Watching as Echizen tenses in the chair in front of me I am filled with mixed emotions. Even though he was so small he had seemed so cocky and well... Echizen... on the courts. It was impossible for Echizen to be, what was that word Inui-senpai had used?

Handicapped

The idea was so foreign to me that it was inconceivable. And yet both Buchou and Inuii-senpai had, with the support of Fuji-senpai, said that my best friend was blind in his left eye among having other undisclosed (Whatever that meant) injuries. Thus bringing all of us to where we are now because I'm sure I'm not the only one that needs to hear this from the first year himself. And that letter of resignation just HAD to be a joke. There was NO WAY the boy I had become attached to in the beginning of the school year would simply quite the very sport he seemed to live for. Though the first words to ring through the air make a lot of us sweat drop.

"I'm not saying anything."

...Well, there really goes getting answers easily. Echizen was way to stubborn for his own good. How can we senpai help our little kohai if he won't let us do so? Doesn't he know we only want to help him? To understand what in the world is going on?

"Eh... Don't be like that Ochibi Nya!" Eiji-senpai exclaims, bouncing over to the golden eyed boy and awkwardly glomping him despite the position he was in.

"Eiji! Let him go!" Oishi orders, trying to pry the red head off their captive. Once he succeeded **IT** started...


	4. Facing the Spanish Inquisition

**Broken Prince**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.**

**Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of Tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis?**

**Chapter four: Facing the Spanish Inquisition**

**\- POV Tezuka -**

I watch, silently praying that Echizen would simply answer the questions so that Inui wouldn't go through with the Aozo juice that the data player was currently setting on the table in front of the small boy. Golden eyes widen in shock before they turn onto me pleadingly. Now that I know at least some of the injuries he has, for I don't believe for even a second that he told me all of what was wrong, I can't believe I never noticed the difference between his eyes before.

"There is a 95% chance that **this** will change your mind."

Inui says with a smile on his face and I force myself not to close my eyes on the scene of a struggling Echizen pleading that this couldn't be legal, reminding us that he had already quit the team so we (apparently) don't need to do this (That resignation wasn't even brought to my consideration. Ryuusaki-sensei literally took one glance at Ryoma's name on it before shredding the thing and burning the left over strips to ash), and begging me to put a stop to this. If there was any other way I could use to actually get the information I would but Inui had already researched every lead he could find and found nothing...

... And Syuu would kill me for taking away his fun before he found out what he wanted...

... But that didn't matter right now.

"Just answer our questions and you won't have to drink the juice." I say, forcing my voice to be hard even though I can't believe I'm actually allowing Inui to use Aozo. There was a reason I had banned the stuff from practice. There was a line between horrible tasting motivation and causing Syuu to pass out from drinking it.

Locking my eyes on the fearfull boy that I had just last week been training to become Seigaku's pillar of support I ask the first question, at a loss as to what to actually do with him now. Though one thing was for sure...

... I was going to keep Echizen Ryoma as involved with the tennis team as possible.

\- POV Fuji -

"What injuries do you have?"

Mitsu's voice asks and I put my hand on his shoulder in silent support. As much as I like pain in most of it's forms, threatening Ryo-chan with Aozu is a little to much fr al of us (besides Inui). But it was all we could come up with that would actually get the little kitten to talk. There was a lack of information on our baby that hadn't seemed so obvious until now when it would have been helpful. Even Inui only knew about his tennis and ponta obsession until Momo told him his address (Which _he_ only knew from picking the boy up for school everyday) at the beginning of Operation: Data on Ochibi.

Ryo-chan looks like he's about to cry as he struggles to get free and all I want to do is go over there and hold him until he smirks up at me with that usual challenge in his eyes. Dareing me to just** try **and break him...

... I wonder how long it'll take to put him back together after this because he will probably break today. After all, we have him one against eight, tied to a chair in a locked room, Aozo juice on the table in front of him, and permission from his father to keep him as long as we want to. (Of course we told him that we were having a last minute tennis training weekend and would all be staying over at my house, but that's simply semantics. Besides, his father didn't seem concerned about it at all and hadn't even asked us for information to contact his son with over the weekend. What kind of father _does_ something like that?)

Tearful eyes glaze over, back stiffens straight, and he tilts his head in submission as he stops fighting the handcuffs and gives in. It actually disappoints me really, Ryo-chan has always made things interesting when he was around. Yet now that I'm ready to see him go down fighting he gives up in such an un-Echizen-like manner. The voice that answers Mitsu's question is flat and lifeless. Possessing less emotion than I would expect from Inui analyzing a situation.

"Blind in left eye, healed bone fracture in left forearm, misaligned fingers in left hand, mended ACL, right knee held in place by metal, reset right ankle..." The list goes on from there but the rest was simply bad cuts and gashes that he claimed to have scarred over already. Besides the inclusion of a few internal organs apparently having had past experinces bleeding anyway. However, that doesn't change the fact that the list is longer than any of us could have imagined it to be and even Inui takes a second to process this data before he can bring himself to right it down. Maybe we should have kept it to just the three of us and Ryo-chan. Eijiko is crying, Oishi and Taka seem to be just holding back from going over and checking to make sure their baby was truly alright, Momo and Kaido both look ready to murder, and Mitsu is trembling. I myself can't help but smile at the thought of what to do to the bastard that did this to **MY** Ryo-chan.

"How did you acquire these injuries?" Mitsu asks carefully. He doesn't want to repeat himself and I can't blame him, the answer however is far from satisfying. And brings up the question of how our kitten can even bring himself to continue holding a racket.

"Tennis"

"Expand on that please." Mitsu's voice is strained in contrast to the emotionless one that had answered. And I remove my hands from his shoulders only to drop myself into his lap and curl up close to him. His one arm caging me against his body as the other fools with my hair soothingly. My stoic boyfriend however doesn't let his concentration be taken from the task at hand but still calms down slightly. That one word was not what any of us wanted to hear but had still been half expected seeing as this _was_ Ryo-chan after all. The boy pauses for a moment. Seeming to be deciding just how much he should tell us (READ: How vague of an answer we will allow) before finally responding to the non-request verbally.

"I played against a demon player two years ag-"

"WHO THE HELL WAS HE?!"

**Hey everyone! I hope you like the story so far. Can anyone guess who just blew up? I haven't made the characters too OOC have I? The Senpai seem a little harsh yes but I see Seigaku s being extreme, especially in he case of one of their members safety despite letting them do whatever they want in the end anyway, and they really are trying to help. It's just a little forceful because Ryoma has been avoiding them all week and they can't find anything to tell them what happened but the freshman himself. Ryoma will be going back into character at some point but I can't really have him put back together until I shatter him can I? Due to the poll this is now on the track to becoming an OT6 pairing with RyoSaku friendship fic. Thank you all who voted. However I am not allowing this fic to simply turn into a slash fest. Any truly M-rated scenes shall be marked off for those who don't want to read them and the relationship will actually develop. Don't be expecting Ryoma to be getting any (or however you want to put it) in the next few chapters. I am a firm believer that the faster a relationship starts the faster it will end. Currently however I have a web between the elders of OT6 with strong feeling involving Ryoma for all of them. It shall (of course) progress. Until next time,**

**BYE!**


	5. Answers

**Broken Prince**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.**

**Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of Tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis?**

**Chapter five: Answers**

**\- POV Yukimura -**

"Why are you in such a rush Boya?" I ask, seeing Akaya rush to get home after practice even though he usually is one of the last ones ready to leave.

"There's a documentary interview on America's Demon showing in a little while. It's going to be showing at least clips from each of his matches through the years and actually play through the more important ones!" The second year says excitedly, glancing at the door and bouncing on his heals as if he were about to do his split-step. I have no clue who the boy is talking about and I really don't care, but it gives me a reason to keep Gen away from Atobe...

"That sounds like a great team bonding activity." My team, who wasn't really paying attention to the conversation before suddenly all tense at the last three words to leave my lips. I don't know why I get so many complaints about the things we do as a team. After all, I always plan them with Syuu and he loves them. Usually wishing that Tezuka would let their own team participate in something simular. I pretend not to see their relief when Akaya quickly fills them in on what I had just signed everyone up for this evening and Gen's protests are quickly covered up by Renjji and Niou. The data master sending my fukubuchou and boyfriend a look that says 'Not a word' as he says that this is a great idea and starts listing off the statics around it. My trickster however, taking a more physical approach, covers Gen's mouth with his hand. Smiling, I overlook their antics, they are after all playing in my favor.

**\- Time Skip -**

America 's Demon turns out to be a twenty year old college student named Daniel Wilkans. He's six foot tall with short blond hair and green eyes, attractive if not for his personality really. But not my type. Maybe Gen's though, since I keep drawing parallels between this Wilkans guy and Atobe...

Anyway!

Obviously, he's a demon player like Akaya (which is probably why the boy was so interested in him to begin with) and had won several medals, titles, and gotten pretty far in some of the major tournaments. Almost winning the French and American Opens two years in a row.

The match rerun clips started and it was amusing to see how the man had grown. If it wasn't playing in front of me I wouldn't believe that that six year old running after the ball would grow up to be sending people running to the hospital. The biggest surprise happens when the interview gets around to showing what his fans had voted as his best match in high school. My opinion of him drops when the hostess says that the match was against an elementary student.

The entire team goes into shock when we see a familiar ten year old boy walk onto the court wearing his signature white Fila cap. A sinking feeling enters my stomach as my mind registers the appearance off Syuu's little Kitten on the screen. The freshman prodigy that had recently defeated Gen back in Kento. This may have been the Demon's' best match...

... But it was the Prince's worst...

**\- Fuji POV -**

Viper latches onto Momo's arms, holding him back from actually jumping Ryo-chan. The place is in chaos and almost everyone is stressed and screaming. Ryo-chan taking the opportunity NOT to answer the question.

The world seems to come to a complete standstill as my cellphone goes off. Sei's voice filling the club room with his "friendly" threat of what would happen if I ever ignored one of his calls.

"Saa...Hai Sei? I'm kind of in the middle of something." I answer with a smile on my face, the rest of the regulars backing away from me slowly other than Mitsu who's lap I am still perched on and Ryo-chan who is handcuffed to his chair.

"That's nice Syuu. Turn on your television to channel 95 for a moment please. I promise it'll be more interesting than whatever it is your doing right now." Sei responds, his voice slightly strained, and I go over to the small television that had been shoved into a corner. Doing just as the blunnette requested.

"Saa... This had better be go-"

**\- Tezuka POV -**

I watch as Syuu gets up off my lap and goes to the television. Standing there talking to Yukimura as he flips through the channels I'm not expecting him to suddenly freeze mid-sentence; eyes shooting open and cellphone slipping from the hand still positioned by his ear. Confused I stand up but Oishi is the first on there.

"Fuji, What's wr-" His question is cut off by a gasp. His hand, once going to Syuu's shoulder, now covers his mouth as a look of pure horror covers his face. All of the regulars besides Echizen rush to gather around the small set. Captivated by the disturbing horror on the screen. Oishi hasn't moved nor has Syuu for that matter, Eiji is crying as he clings to his doubles partner, Momoshirou is speechless for once as his legs give out from under him, Inui has dropped his pen, Kaido stopped Hissing, and Kawamura is blinking at the screen uncomprehendingly. Positioning myself behind Syuu he buries himself in my arms, shoulders shaking as he cries, and I look at what has upset not only my team but my boyfriend so much.

A ten year old Echizen, bruised and bloody, his hat long gone, left hand secured to his racket with grip tape (Is that even legal?), and heavily favoring his left leg is picking himself up off the ground yet again. A teenager a little older than we are now silently watching him from the other side of the net with narrowed red eyes and a frown on his face. Onlookers watched in the same captivated horror as we were but for a few unseen young voices that are begging the emerald haired boy to quit. Not heading the voices, said boy sends a weak serve that I haven't seen before to his opponent as he bites back a cry of pain that turns into a blood curdling scream as the blond hits the balls back at his left arm. The referee offers to end the match are ignored as once again he defies the pain visibly strumming through his body._ Where the hell was the bench coach? What is his captain thinking? Why are the adults allowing this?_ are a few of my thoughts as I watch, thankful that Ryuusaki-sensei would have definitely put a stop to one of our matches before it got to this point. And if **_she_**hadn't **_I_**would have.

The score is neck to neck in a tie-breaker, neither willing to give in and seemingly no one with the power to stop them wanting to, when the final injury sends the game into the elder player's victory.

No one cheers though. And from the look of things Wilkans wasn't expecting them to. Seven children all about Echizen's age on the screen run onto the court as the ten year old falls unconscious from the blow to the head he had just received.

The match cuts off from there and the scene turns to a green eyed twenty year old version of the winner sitting across from a red haired woman with brown eyes. His face is blank but for the hardness in his eyes that nearly covers up the small hint of sadness and regret in them.

"I believe that no one has ever forgotten _that_ particular match from two years ago. It was that one that caught the attention of everyone around the country, such an amazing State Championship match. I don't think there's been another one like it." Her smile is obviously fake and the cheer in her voice forced. She seemed to be talking as much as possible to make up for Wilkans' silence.

"Do you know what happened to that child you faced? Ryoma Echizen of Angel Acadamy's elementary division I believe? Such potential from someone so young." She asks, and while everything else is fake about her, her curiosity is very real. Wilkans glances up at her with a raised eyebrow and his simple reply makes her laugh for some reason.

"I doubt he's playing tennis anymore."

**Hey Everyone! I hope you are enjoying Broken Prince so far. Thanks for all the reviews so far! Congratulations to those of you who guessed that I was Momoshirou that snapped. How do you think everyone is going to react now that they know? Also, if there was any confusion about the pairings set up in this I will gladly post a list of the ones I now plan to at least touch upon in this. ****Comments, suggestions, PMs, requests, and other reviewy-like stuff are always welcome. Until Next time,**

**Bye!**


	6. Reaction (Part one)

**Broken Prince**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.**

**Summary: A match in the past leaves a then ten year old Ryoma Echizen with several permanent health issues that leave many questioning rather the Prince of tennis can even continue playing. When Ryoma moves to Japan he knew hiding those injuries from Seigaku was going to be hard and that being caught was not an option. Why can't he just play tennis?**

**Chapter six: Reaction (Part 1)**

_"I doubt he's playing tennis anymore."_

**-P.O.V. Sanada-**

That sentence both infuriates and shames me.

How could someone seem so uncaring about hurting an opponent so young _that_ badly?

Was _this_ what Akaya would end up like in the future?

How could I have _lost_ to someone who had been injured to such an extent in the past?

Having seen the twelve year old that had managed to catch everyone's attention broken yet still hold on so tightly I feel pride and protectiveness rise up in me along with a different emotion that I knew all to well despite what others may say about me.

That wasn't good.

My arms tighten around the very reason those feelings couldn't exist as he was still sobbing into my chest. Why did it seem I was unable to ever stay completely faithful to him? Why was I constantly feeling the emotions I should only have for the blunette in my arms towards other people? Sei was insecure about our relationship enough as it was.

After all, I wasn't dating a blind idiot. He sees the way I look at Tezuka, even if he doesn't _know_ he at least suspects the one night stand I had with his best friend, and he _does_ know that I wasn't the one who ended my relationship with Kei. That was the worst one by far it seemed. Ever since the Hyote player broke up with me to join Seigaku's "Perfect Pair" and I started dating Sei instead it seemed my captian's self esteem was slowly crumbling.

Gone was the self confidant Child of God I had fallen in love with back when we were children. He wasn't even the freshman I had finally admitted those feelings I had for (even if only to myself). He truly smiled less, started questioning everything I did, went back and forth between being himself and some Kei wannabe (that in all honesty not only turned me off rather quickly but scared me even more than the worst off those "team bonding activities" that he plans with Fuji), and is constantly second guessing himself. And it seemed to get worse by the day instead of better like Aniki had claimed it would when I told him _some_ of what was going on. (Of course it didn't help that I still hung out and sometimes went dancing with Kei...)

Looking at my boyfriend I wonder just _how_ I could stop all of this once and for all.

**\- P.O.V. Yukimura -**

I don't exactly remember _when_ I climbed onto Gen's lap (Sometime after I called Syuu) but it takes me a while to calm down enough to take inventory of my team.

Renji is scribbling away in a notebook mumbling about calling Sadaharu for more data, Marui's gum has fallen out of his mouth onto Jackle's head, said teen is staring at the screen shocked and speechless, Gen is staring into space with his arms around me, and Yagyuu is hiding his face in the crevasse between Nio's neck and shoulder seeming suspiciously like he was crying (but gentleman don't cry). Nio himself was rubbing his doubles partner and one-sided love intrest's back, whispering comforts in the gentleman's ear as tears stream down his face and his body shakes from trying to keep his voice even. Akaya was ghostly pale and shaking. His eyes wide and horror clear as day on his face...

... It would be a while before I had to deal with anymore hospital bills it seemed...

The whole thing is broken by the sound of Gen's phone playing _that_ ring tone and I hope he doesn't pick up. But as usual that hope is crushed mercilessly and quickly like all of our tennis opponents should be...

... It is after all _Atobe Keigo_...

**\- P.O.V. Atobe -**

I don't have to wait long before Gen picks up, which is good since I don't like to be kept waiting, and I can tell that something is wrong. More than likely he had yet another fight with that cute captain of his that he was currently dating. The thought makes anger show on my face which isn't good. After all, my beauty should not have to suffer because Gen chose the Syuu-like blunette over joining Mitsu and Syuu with me. What exactly was the problem between the two Rikkia students anyway?

"Just let your parents know your dating him already. He does have a point that you introduced Ore-sama to them after a week and you've been going out with him for three months now!" I snap, referencing the argument that Gen told me him and Yukimura were having yesterday over the phone. Or should I say was_ still_ having since it had been an ongoing argument between the "Alpha Pair" for about two months now. I didn't really see what Gen's big deal was though. His parents and grandfather know and love Yukimura already (his ka-san had even gone so far as to comment in passing that if her son was gay couldn't he at least be dating the bluenette) and the news that they were dating now would definitely be more welcome then the one that I was (See previous comment).

"Thanks but that isn't whats wrong..."

Now, an Atobe never shouts, but after Gen finished talking about the Brat my voice was a few octaves higher then usual...

"What do you mean he was critically injured?!"

**Hey everyone! I know this is shorter then the chapters I have been posting for this story recently but I wanted to split the reactions of Seigaku and Rikkai (including Atobe) into two different chapters... so I did. This one kind of came out more about the whole OT5 web problem thing going on then Ryoma's injuries. Don't worry, Seigaku will be mostly focused on the boy. However at some point I will have gone into the viewpoint of each of the guys about each other in someway before they end up all together. So what do you think? Comments, questions, suggestions, and requests welcome/wanted as always! Until next time...**

**...Bye!**


End file.
